A List with Real Potential

[kruddler]

Our forward line with C. Curnow, SOJ, McKay and a Pickett/SPS/Fisher/Polson as the crumber and Matty Wright as the hard nut defensive forward - again, will surprise many too. The Bolt is on orders, perform this year - up the ground or as a stay at home FF? Arguably, with no foil in 2016 he wasn't used very well. Maybe that was by design?

I guess one on one - if we get the ball to him quickly, he'll out mark andyone, even a Rance type.

I love the optomism but i can't share it.

Yes i know, everyone we drafted will perform at their maximum and everybody lives up to their potential and turns the club around....but that doesn't happen. At least 2 players we drafted won't be on the list in 2 years. Another one might be injured over the same period. etc.

The forward line still worries me greatly.

Curnowfides could be anything and through sheer lack of options everyone has him locked into our forward line. Ideally, you'd want him roaming through the middle and/or wing, but i accept he'll play forward.

McKay hasn't cracked it for a game. Sure, he is the great white hope, but he doesn't have the wraps on him like someone like Hogan does/did...and he is still a few years behind him yet.

SOJ, exceeded all expectations and its hard for anyone to see a time where he will be left out of the side. 2nd years blues and some young kid niggles and he might be running around in the 2's for large part of the season if he doesn't break down completely. He plays like his father, but hasn't got the mature body for that style just yet.

Pickett/SPS/Fisher/Polson - Pickett is a bit different as he has been in the system for a bit now, but the others would be lucky to play 22 games between them. Expected them to hold down a spot is, again, very optimistic.

Wright is the one player we can bank on IMO....bit having said that, not many people rated him for the majority of the year. People are more accepting of him no since he actually won the goal kicking and had a good placing in the B+F. Still, we picked him up off the scrap heap and he's not going to scare the opposition like an Eddie Betts would.

That leaves Casboult. I notice how you talked about him outmarking everyone, but failed to talk about the next step - kicking. We are the only team in the history of the AFL that has their worst kick on the list as their main forward target. Love his physicality and presence, but we cannot consistently move forward with him as our main goal kicking option. On a good day, he'll kick straight and we win. Over the course of a year, we'll lose more games than we win because of his rollercoaster accuracy.

Personally, i'd put in Smedts before a few of them as he knows where the goals are and can take advantage of the smallest of opportunities.

Overall, there are way too many unknowns from our forwardline and when the inevitable happens, and they get injured/dropped, the next bloke in will be a player like Jones/Jaksch. Still excited about our options?